It’s no secret our kids are getting a lot more screen time than you or I did as kids. Media are readily available to them at every moment of the day — and the amount of garbage on TV and in music is almost impossible to avoid today. The key word is “almost.”

I recently spoke with Anthony Weber, lead pastor at the Church of the Living God in Traverse City, Michigan. He’s an expert on navigating contemporary media and about having an active and intentional approach to talking to kids about messages in media. Parents — I can’t stress enough how crucial a topic this is today.

While our kids are increasingly susceptible to messages in all forms of media we don’t want them to consume, parents are not powerless to protect them. It may not be possible (or healthy) to police the media they consume at every moment of every day, but it is possible and important to create a safe, trusted place where you can discuss what your kids are reading, playing, listening to, and watching.

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So how to do this? Try these tips.

1.) Embed yourself in your children’s worlds. Get to know what your kids are watching, the games they want to play and the music they like. I know that on the one hand this sounds obvious, while on the other hand it sounds like a lot of work — but it’s critical that you know what your kids are exposed to today. Embedding yourself in your child’s world gives you the power and ability to influence his or her decisions. Talk through the shows or games with your kids and begin a dialogue on what they like or don’t like.

Stay involved and interested — your kids will then feel safer in staying open in their communication with you.

It is possible and important to create a safe, trusted place where you can discuss what kids are reading, playing, and watching.

2.) Ask good questions about the shows they watch. Ask about the main characters, how your kids feel about those characters’ actions and the choices they make — and listen (without interrupting/correcting/arguing) to the answers they give you. Rather than telling them what to think, teach your children by asking for their opinions first.

A child is much more likely to listen to what you have to say when you first ask for his or her opinion — and listen to it. This makes kids feel you’re paying attention and are interested in what they have to say. Making sure your kids know you value their opinion is very important to keeping in touch with them and having strong communication between you.

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Now, when your children give you thoughts and opinions, you can direct further questions that will make them think the way you think. In other words: You can bring them to a conclusion by asking specific questions. When kids see you’re genuinely interested in their opinions, they are far more likely to keep talking and they’ll want to sit down and watch shows and movies with you. And most importantly, they’ll listen to you when you tell them why, in the future, they shouldn’t watch a certain show, listen to certain music or play a type of game.

3.) Set clear game rules about media and tell your kids why. Many parents either tell their children they can never watch TV or movies — or they go to the opposite extreme and surrender all rules and guidelines, simply saying, “I can’t do anything about it. Kids are going to watch these things regardless.” Don’t adopt that attitude! It’s simply not true. Kids will listen to the boundaries you set if you explain why you have them and if you’ve taken the time to listen to their opinions about the movies/shows/music they are watching.

Related: How to Reconcile with Your Kid if You Think You’ve Blown It

You need to review current movies and shows and make a list of why you’ve chosen some as acceptable and others as not. When you do that, give specific reasons — and don’t be afraid to tell your kids that certain shows are off-limits when they are at a friend’s house.

Parents are afraid to do this: They incorrectly assume their children will watch the show no matter what. If a show comes on that they know they’re not supposed to watch, have them call you — and you’ll pick them up. If they’re worried about looking silly in front of their friends, tell your children they can blame you for being strict and setting those boundaries.

Always be the fall guy for your child. You’ll be protecting your son or daughter from harmful influences and in time, your young adult will look back and thank you — for setting rules and boundaries.

Dr. Meg Meeker has practiced pediatrics and adolescent medicine for more than 30 years. She is the author of the new book “Hero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need” (Regnery Publishing, May 2017), as well as a number of digital parenting resources and online courses, including The 12 Principles of Raising Great Kids.